


26 Hour Day

by cemetrygatess



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: First Kiss, Getting Together, Julian "foot in mouth" Bashir, Julian “infodump” Bashir, Light Angst, M/M, POV Julian Bashir, Science, Slice of Life, are you really into circadian rhythms? Well then have I got the fic for you, but then it turned into garashir, set in season 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:55:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28997865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cemetrygatess/pseuds/cemetrygatess
Summary: Deep Space Nine has a 26 hour day. It's a schedule the human occupants of the station are ill suited for.
Relationships: Julian Bashir & Jadzia Dax, Julian Bashir & Miles O'Brien, Julian Bashir/Elim Garak
Comments: 40
Kudos: 135
Collections: Star Trek: Just in Time Fest





	26 Hour Day

“Doctor, any update on the medical shortages?” Sisko asked at that week’s senior staff meeting. 

“I’ve been able to obtain alternate supply lines for everything we talked about last week except for tenoxotrin,” Dr. Bashir replied. 

“Tenoxotrin? That name sounds familiar,” Jadzia said questioningly. 

“It’s the medication all humans need to be able to operate on the station’s 26 hour day.” Well, actually 26 Hours, 13 minutes and 40 seconds, Julian’s brain supplied, though he was able to hold his tongue. Those were the sorts of tidbits that Julian’s brain was good at holding on to, even when no one was interested. 

“It’s a Bajoran Station, of course it’s a 26 hour day!” Kira said rather indignantly. 

“Yes, of course.” Sisko’s voice was calm. “How much do we have left?”

“As of today, none,” Julian replied. 

“And how big of a problem is this?” asked the Captain. 

“Potentially not a problem. I’ve sent an urgent request to StarFleet and we will hopefully get a new shipment in the next few weeks. If that stays on track, we will likely see only minor changes to human productivity,” said Julian. 

“Well it’s a war, things are likely to get off track. What will happen if the dominion interferes with our shipment?” Jadzia asked. 

“Well humans have evolved a circadian rhythm based on a 24 hour earth day. When asked to live on a schedule much different than 24 hours, humans are put into a state of forced desynchrony. The circadian internal time differs from the real time. Prolonged desynchrony leads to cognitive decline on par with sleep deprivation, even with 8 hours of sleep. Tenoxotrin allows us to get around this problem.” It took all Julian’s willpower to not tell the whole senior staff the history of circadian rhythm biology. 

“So how long till we would feel the effects of 26 hour days?” Miles asked. 

“The first month would likely be okay for most people. It’s the long term effects I’m most worried about.” Julian frowned. 

“Well let’s hope we get that shipment then, doctor,” Sisko replied. 

***

**10 Weeks Later**

  
Wartime shortages were a bitch. 

Sisko pinched the bridge of his nose. He seemed to be hoping against hope that that would somehow relieve his mounting headache, but Julian knew it wouldn’t. The captain was already on the strongest pain hypos he could give, a bit of pinching was not going to change the calculus. 

“We’re still several weeks out on our shipment of medication from the federation,” Major Kira said at their weekly staff meeting. She was annoyingly alert, Julian thought. Meanwhile himself along with Miles and Sisko were doing their best not to collapse. 

“And you’re absolutely sure, Dr. Bashir, that you can’t replicate tenoxotrin?” Sisko asked. It was the sixth time he had asked. 

“Unfortunately the tenoxotrin can’t be replicated. It’s too unstable. We’ll have to wait unless there’s a way you think we could get some faster.” Julian frowned. 

His head hurt too. Augmentation had done many things for him, but it had not fundamentally rewired his biology. He was still human, and he still operated on a 24 hour internal schedule. 

“No,” Sisko shook his head. “There isn’t any nearby planet where the compound is a natural product. And besides, I can’t approve an away mission right now. We’re meant to defend Bajor, the station and the wormhole. The dominion threat is too important. Us humans will just need to hang in another two weeks.”

Jadzia shot Kira a look. It wasn’t just the humans that were getting tired of living like this. A captain on the cognitive decline was a situation that trickled down. 

“What if I tried to synthesize it?” Dax asked. 

“The old fashion way?” Chief O’Brien sounded incredulous. 

“I’ll help,” Julian offered. “It’s worth a try anyway.” Anything to get this headache to go away. 

***

Thud, the dart landed scoring Julian a measly 12 points. He could hardly do worse if he was trying to lose, like he had been before his augmentation had been revealed. 

“Miles, we should quit this. Games are taking twice as long,” he said with a frown. He walked towards the table where his synthale was sitting, and took a sip. 

“You’re just saying that cause I’m winning,” the Chief replied, all self satisfaction. 

“Okay then. Throw one bullseye. Come on.” 

Miles squinted, concentrating, and threw the dart. It landed, earning him 8 points. The bullseye was not remotely close. 

“I see what you mean,” he conceded. 

“It’s this 26 hour schedule. We’re beginning to experience motor decline,” Julian replied. 

“So whiskey instead, then?” O’Brien asked. 

“Yeah. Sounds good.” Really it did. Anything to distract from the headache. 

***

There was no facility to do an old fashioned chemical synthesis on DS9. Instead, they had set up an area in an unused cargo bay. They didn’t have a chemical hood so the set up was just on a table. 

On top of this, neither of them had ever done this type of work. A thorough study of the historical documents could only go so far. 

It should have surprised no one when they made it halfway through the synthesis and then promptly caused an explosion. The powder had become too dry, and Julian had scraped at it, attempting to collect it in a glass dish. 

“No! Julian!” Jadzia exclaimed, but it was too late. 

Glass shattered going everywhere, and they were both thrown back. He wasn’t supposed to let the powder get dry. It had dried too quickly and he was much more distractible than usual. 

He lay there, ears ringing. His head now both hurt from the 26 hour schedule and hitting his head. 

“I’m sorry, Jadzia. I didn’t realize the powder had gotten dry.”

“It’s okay. But somehow I don’t think Benjamin is going to be excited by the idea of us trying again,” said Jadzia. Still lying prone she gestured at the mess of glass and chemicals that littered the cargo bay. 

"That unstable intermediate has really lived up to it's reputation." Julian sighed. 

***

Julian knew he was falling asleep at lunch. It wasn’t that Garak was boring, it was just that his body thought it was around 3 am. That and a late night spent causing an uncontrolled explosion in the cargo bay meant he was at the edge of functionality. 

“We can pass on lunch if it doesn’t hold your interest, doctor. I am perfectly fine to table our discussion of  _ The Legate’s Downfall _ to next time.” Garak smiled, his eyes piercing blue and mirthful. 

“I’m sorry Garak. It’s not you. It’s the damn tenoxotrin shortage.”

“Ah humans and their pesky 24 hour internal clocks,” Garak tsked. 

“Yes they are rather rigid. Even in total darkness, a normal human will maintain a near 24 hour daily rhythm.”

“What poor design for a space-faring species.” Garak shook his head. “Cardassians I assure you do not have these problems.” 

The doctor couldn’t tell if Garak was lying or not, but then it didn’t really matter. 

“Well, we didn’t evolve for space travel, Garak. Less than 500 years of space travel is no match for millions of years of evolution!” Julian was getting rather animated, as he often did at these lunches. 

“No, I suppose not,” Garak allowed. 

“Earth has had 24 hour days been for millions of years, so humans have evolved to best suit that environment. Two million years ago, when our close ancestors  _ Homo erectus  _ walked the earth there were 24 hour days, and 2 million years from now there will still be 24 hour days. The speed at which the earth spins changes very slowly.” One of the things Julian liked most about lunches with Garak is that Garak never seemed to be annoyed when Julian provided him with an excessive amount of information on any given topic. It didn’t matter what topic, Garak always listened. 

“ _ Homo erectus _ ?” Garak’s eyes twinkled. 

“A closely related species to humans, long extinct,” Julian replied, feigning annoyance. 

“Well hopefully my dear doctor, the drugs which sustain your enjoyable if frail company will be here soon.”

“I’m afraid it’s not looking that way. The tenoxotrin was 2 weeks out yesterday, and this morning that got pushed to 3 weeks out. So unless you’re willing to forgo lunch for what seems to be an increasing amount of time, you’ll have to tolerate a sub-optimal Julian Bashir.” Julian frowned. 

“Ah, I am terribly sorry to hear that.”

“Well you know, I can still flirt with you,” Julian said, the words coming out before he had decided they ought to. 

“Flirt with me?” Garak’s eyes were wide. 

“Oh was I not supposed to know that that is what was happening?” Julian asked, his heart sinking. “It’s the game that’s only fun when you pretend you're not playing? That sort of thing? Shit, and here I went and ruined it by being too out of it to function.”

He looked down at food, stabbing a rather sad looking carrot. 

“You knew the whole time?” Garak sounded some combination of incredulous and betrayed. 

Julian looked up from his stabbed carrot. 

“Was I not supposed to know? You weren’t that subtle Garak. I may miss a few social cues now and then but I’m not totally blind!”

“I just assumed you didn’t. At least, you never seemed interested.” Garak’s voice sounded far away, he was clearly still digesting this new information. 

“I flirted back!” Julian insisted. 

“Well I thought you were just being friendly.” Garak frowned, clearly still pondering this change in the conversation. 

“No! I was waiting for you to ask me out. And when you didn’t I guess I figured it was a game.”

“It was not a game.” Garak sounded bitter. 

Julian’s heart soared and sank in the same moment. It broke his heart to hear Garak’s tone and to feel the pent up emotion in it. But it was also clear he had a chance with Garak, for real, something he had given up hope of long ago. He opened his mouth to reply, to tell Garak it wasn’t a game, and just then his com beeped. 

“Nurse Jabara to Dr. Bashir, you’re needed in the infirmary for a medical emergency.”

“On my way,” he replied. “Garak, I promise we will talk about this later,” he said before turning to leave.

***

After his afternoon emergency surgery, Julian’s headache came back with an unexpected ferocity and vigor. He was grateful for the Bajoran doctors and nurses who were helping to pick up his slack but it was becoming untenable. His hands had nearly begun to shake during a key part of surgery and Nurse Jabara had had to take over. She was competent and expertly followed his instructions, but nonetheless it was unideal. Something would need to change. 

When there was a lull in his afternoon schedule, he headed up to Ops. He was going to fix this problem, and then he was going to talk to Garak. Garak whose astonishment and bitterness had swirled through his head unbidden while he’d been at work. He was a doctor dammit, and if nothing else he should be able to do a simple procedure without distraction. 

“Julian shouldn’t you be in the infirmary?” Dax asked when he got to Ops. Her smile indicated that she was teasing; he hung out there plenty after all. She was standing next to Kira. 

“I’ve got an idea for the Captain about our 24 26 hour problem.”

“Well let’s hear it then, Doctor,” Sisko said, stepping out of his office. 

“Put the humans on 24 hour duty schedules.”

“That would be desperately hard to organize, Julian,” Kira replied. 

“I’m already beginning to struggle through routine surgeries. In the next few weeks we’ll be looking at a human crew that is non-functional. I don’t see how that could possibly be seen as better than humans working odd hours. And I’ve drafted an example schedule. It’s not perfect but I think it’s worth trying.”

Julian handed Kira a PADD. She looked it over, scrunching her face as she thought.

“Well Major, how does it look?” Sisko asked. 

The Captain looked worn down. Julian could see it, and he saw that Kira could see it too. 

“I make it work,” she said. 

“I want it implemented tomorrow, Major,” Sisko said, before retreating back to his office with a scowl. 

Dax looked at Julian and silently mouthed  _ Thank You _ . 

***

When his shift ended Julian headed straight for Garak’s shop. 

“Doctor, whatever brings you to my humble shop this evening?” Garak asked with a fake smile and customer service voice. He was sitting behind his desk, his hands busy with embroidery. 

“We didn’t get a chance to finish our conversation this afternoon.”

“Ah yes,  _ The Legate’s Downfall _ . I would like to hear your opinions on that.” Garak smiled, as if he was not being purposefully obtuse. 

“That’s not what I meant!” Julian insisted. His headache flared and he winced. 

“Perhaps our discussion of literature can wait till next week at lunch.” Garak looked down at his embroidery. 

“Well that’s another thing. Our lunch plans will likely be disrupted until the tenoxotrin shipment comes. I’ve gotten Sisko to agree to a separate 24 hour duty schedule for the human staff.”

“I understand,” Garak replied, he turned away from the doctor. “You may go now.”

Julian felt something inside him deflate. He was really mucking this up. He was letting Garak lead the conversation, and he was making a number of fraught assumptions. 

“Elim, I don’t think you do understand. I was coming by to ask you out!”

Garak turned to Julian, his face all surprise. Julian took a step towards him.

“I can be clumsy with my words on a regular occasions, and I assure you 10 weeks without tenoxotrin has only made the situation worse. But I meant to ask you out this evening, since your demeanor at lunch suggested you would be amenable to that.” Julian smiled. 

“I would be amenable to that, doctor.” Garak’s eyes held a rare timidity. 

“By next week my lunch will be at your dinner. Perhaps we might share a meal in my quarters then? I am likely to be slightly less impaired by then.”

“I would like that very much.”

“Oh and one more thing,” Julian said, leaning in to kiss Garak. Elim leaned into the kiss, his hand moving to the back of Julian’s neck. 

“Perhaps, Doctor, we need not wait till next week.” Garak’s blue eyes danced. 

**Author's Note:**

> I worked in a circadian rhythm lab for ~2 years and the 26 hour day thing has bugged me. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the fic! Comments and kudos appreciated :)


End file.
